The Birth of Outlaw Country

[bovine knievel]

Smitty posted this in the Misc Shit thread.

Article by Jan Reid in 1976 - very interesting perspective on the "Outlaw Country" scene.

Who Killed Redneck Rock? ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A COUNTRY MUSIC CAMELOT, WHERE HIPPIES AND REDNECKS LIVED IN PEACE. THEN THE “OUTLAWS” CAME.

[Smitty]

Growing Old at Willie Nelson’s Picnic
THE LAST, POSITIVELY THE LAST, WORD ON ROCK FESTIVALS.
by WILLIAM MARTIN
OCTOBER 1974

The Friday evening program was marred somewhat by the fact that it was being filmed by the Midnight Special television show. As members of the film crew walked in and out among performers and as the cameras swept around without concern for the fact that soft human bodies were in the vicinity, one got the impression the crowd was being regarded less as primary consumer than as studio audience. Even more offensive was the presence and behavior of Leon Russell, who would serve as Wolfman Jack’s co-host for the Special when it aired in early August. Russell is a darling of the progressive country set, for reasons I cannot fathom. For three days he wandered around in what appeared to be a chemical daze, his pasty white pot-belly poking through an unbuttoned shirt and his wasted face peering out from under a straw hat perched on top of the grey hair that flowed down the sides of his face for at least two feet. Because he had obviously ordained himself to be the Big Star of the picnic, Leon felt free to walk onstage whenever an act was reaching its peak and share in the applause, just as if he had earned it. On one of his early appearances, he sprinkled beer on the crowd with his fingertips, in the manner of a Great High Priest. On another, when a groupie-aspirant handed him a box of strawberries, he took small bites from each and threw them into the crowd, to be shared in sacramental fashion. Most of the time, though, he just stood and gazed through eyes that betrayed a mind suffering from severe brown-out.

[dime in the gutter]

Growing Old at Willie Nelson’s Picnic
THE LAST, POSITIVELY THE LAST, WORD ON ROCK FESTIVALS.
by WILLIAM MARTIN
OCTOBER 1974

The Friday evening program was marred somewhat by the fact that it was being filmed by the Midnight Special television show. As members of the film crew walked in and out among performers and as the cameras swept around without concern for the fact that soft human bodies were in the vicinity, one got the impression the crowd was being regarded less as primary consumer than as studio audience. Even more offensive was the presence and behavior of Leon Russell, who would serve as Wolfman Jack’s co-host for the Special when it aired in early August. Russell is a darling of the progressive country set, for reasons I cannot fathom. For three days he wandered around in what appeared to be a chemical daze, his pasty white pot-belly poking through an unbuttoned shirt and his wasted face peering out from under a straw hat perched on top of the grey hair that flowed down the sides of his face for at least two feet. Because he had obviously ordained himself to be the Big Star of the picnic, Leon felt free to walk onstage whenever an act was reaching its peak and share in the applause, just as if he had earned it. On one of his early appearances, he sprinkled beer on the crowd with his fingertips, in the manner of a Great High Priest. On another, when a groupie-aspirant handed him a box of strawberries, he took small bites from each and threw them into the crowd, to be shared in sacramental fashion. Most of the time, though, he just stood and gazed through eyes that betrayed a mind suffering from severe brown-out.

doug kershaw prodding leon along with the fiddle.

willie with some nasty picking.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

[bovine knievel]

Bump

https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/that-70s-show/

[Beaverdam]

That was a dissertation but a good read. Thanks for “the bump” (outlaw country pun intended)!

Bump

https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/that-70s-show/

[cortez the killer]

The Highwaymen & Junior

[cortez the killer]

[Flea]

The Highwaymen & Junior

Did Waylon eat Jessi Colter?

[cortez the killer]

The Highwaymen & Junior

Did Waylon eat Jessi Colter?

Till she screamed.

[cortez the killer]

Tweet was a picture of Johnny Paycheck, captioned something to the effect that even though Charles Manson was crazy, his country period was surprisingly good.